No-show parents face arrest

The parents of a 14-year-old Dublin girl arrested at the weekend for shoplifting are facing arrest after they refused to attend her court case.

The young girl was brought before the Children’s Court this morning following her arrest for theft of €23 worth of groceries from the Tesco supermarket at Crumlin Shopping Centre.

Judge Ann Ryan was told that after the arrest, the girl’s family had been contacted but refused to come to the garda station where she was being held.

A peace commissioner had to be brought in to be present when she was charged. Parents or responsible adults are required by law to go to a garda station if a child has been arrested.

Garda Stephan Cooper told Judge Ryan that the girl’s family had been made aware she was being charged. “I spoke to a woman on the phone, she made it clear that she did not care what would happen,” he said.

When the girl came to the courthouse this morning, she was accompanied by a younger sister.

Judge Ryan said she was issuing a bench warrant for the arrest of the parents. However, she agreed to put a stay on it for one day meaning they have until tomorrow to come to the court, otherwise they face arrest.

A teacher who ordered five primary schoolgirls to sellotape their own mouths for chatting and giggling in class was properly removed for professional misconduct from the Teaching Council of Ireland’s Register of Teachers, the High Court has ruled.